(a) The secretary shall establish an advisory committee, which shall be known as the California Organic Products Advisory Committee, for the purpose of advising the secretary with respect to his or her responsibilities under this act.

(b) The advisory committee shall advise the secretary on education, outreach, and technical assistance for producers.

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(c) The advisory committee shall be comprised of 15 members. Each member may have an alternate. Six members and their alternates shall be producers, at least one of whom shall be a producer of meat, fowl, fish, dairy products, or eggs. Two members and their alternates shall be processors, one member and his or her alternate shall be wholesale distributors, one member and his or her alternate shall be representatives of an accredited certifying agency operating in the state, one member and his or her alternate shall be consumer representatives, one member and his or her alternate shall be environmental representatives, two members and their alternates shall be technical representatives with scientific credentials related to agricultural chemicals, toxicology, or food science, and one member and his or her alternate shall be retail representatives. Except for the consumer, environmental, and technical representatives, the members of the advisory committee and their alternates shall have derived a substantial portion of their business income, wages, or salary as a result of services they provide that directly result in the production, handling, processing, or retailing of products sold as organic for at least three years preceding their appointment to the advisory committee. The consumer and environmental representatives and their alternates shall not have a financial interest in the direct sales or marketing of the organic product industry and shall be members or employees of representatives of recognized nonprofit organizations whose principal purpose is the protection of consumer health or protection of the environment. The technical representatives and their alternates shall not have a financial interest in the production, handling, processing, or marketing of the organic products industry. The technical representatives may be involved in organic research or technical review providing they have no financial benefit from results of the research project or technical review.

(d) An alternate member shall serve at an advisory committee meeting only in the absence of, and shall have the same powers and duties as, the category that he or she is representing as alternate, except for duties and powers as an officer of the committee. The number of alternates present who are not serving in the capacity of a member shall not be considered in determining a quorum.

(e) An alternate member may serve at an advisory committee subcommittee meeting only in the absence of, and shall have the same powers and duties as, the member whom he or she is designated as alternate, except for duties and powers as a subcommittee chairperson.

(f) The members of the advisory committee and their alternates shall be reimbursed for the reasonable expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties, as determined by the advisory committee and approved by the secretary.

(g) The secretary or his or her representative, the State Public Health Officer or his or her representative, and a county agricultural commissioner may serve as ex officio members of the advisory committee.

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 561, Sec. 61. (AB 1516) Effective January 1, 2018.)